This invention relates to protective headwear providing a barrier between the head of a wearer and any means whereby the head of the wearer may be injured and more particularly to improvements in the shock absorbing structure of protective helmets providing greater wearer comfort with additional shock attenuation.
Protective helmets are widely used in industry and the armed forces and as crash helmets, equestrian helmets, ski helmets, cyclist's helmets and the like. Such helmets comprise a shell designed to distribute the load of any localized shock over a larger area. The helmet is supported by the head of the wearer in use and various means have been provided for such support in order to provide comfort to the wearer while continuing to provide the desired protection.
For example, a sling or harness of webbing or other material has been fastened to a lower inner portion of the helmet with dimensions and an arrangement such that when the sling or harness is in contact with the head of the wearer, the helmet is supported about the head with a clearance between the shell and the head. Since the sling or harness tends to concentrate the weight of the helmet or the load of a shock thereon at specific areas of the head, it is also known to provide the interior of the shell with protective padding fixed or secured in some manner to the shell and arranged to bear against the head with or without a sling or harness.
In general, the different types of padding used in protective helmets fall in two categories: "comfort padding" which is used merely to provide for wearer comfort and fit, but plays little part in the shock attenuating characteristics of the helmet; and "shock absorbing padding" which is much denser and is designed to attenuate shock, and to spread shock loads over a greater area of the head.
It is a primary object of this invention to provide protective headwear having a shock absorbing structure which utilizes both types of padding to achieve both additional shock attenuation and additional comfort.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a helmet having a shock absorbing structure including a simple, inexpensive, easily replaceable fitting at the inner apex or crown thereof providing for improved hygiene, greater wearer comfort and additional shock attenuation.